Did I do the right thing?

Well the inevitable happened tonight. It had weighed on my mind since the day Charles was taken away by the police and paramedics. I knew that the locks were being changed on his girlfriends house and had a feeling in my gut that he would end up on my doorstep when he got out from wherever it was they had taken him.

I got off work at 11 pm and came home. About midnight there was a knock on my door and the dogs went crazy. Obviously, being the hour it was, I had a feeling it was him. After I calmed the dogs down I looked through the peephole and sure enough, there he was. I did not answer the door and began to think what to do if he became violent. He had taken a swing at me during our previous visit and actually did not even want to see me. I made sure I had a phone in my hand in case he did get violent. By the time I opened the door he was not there anymore.

I grabbed my cellphone and got in my car. As soon as I left my neighboorhood I noticed 2 police cruisers with their lights flashing just about halfway between my house and his girlfriends house. I stopped and approached the 2 officers who had detained Charles. Charles was trying to get into his girlfriends house but the locks had been changed. I'm not sure how the cops were called or if they had just been watching the house. Or maybe a neighbor called them.

They let me talk to Charles. He was not drunk because he had just gotten out of the hospital. Anyhow, he asked me if he could stay at my place for the night. If I lived by myself and did not have my wife and daughter to protect, I would have allowed him to at least stay the night. But I had to say no. Lord forgive me if I did the wrong thing. If I did, I am so sorry. It is my opinion that he is hitting his rock bottom right now and I don;t want to enable him until he gets better.

He then asked me for money. I said I would buy him something to eat but he declined. I have a feeling he would have used it for booze. The police officers told him to stay away from his girlfriends house or they would arrest him and take him to the 4th ave jail. They instructed him to sleep in the park over by the community center then go to the courthouse in the morning to see if he can get his belongings out of her house.

I kind of know the game he is playing right now. He would always get his girlfriend to feel sorry for him and let him back in and then the cycle would just repeat itself.

So basically I just put a guy out on the street so he will know that maybe he has hit bottom and now he has to get serious about staying clean and sober. It bothers me that maybe I didn't do the kingdom thing. I tried doing that and loving him even when he was drunk.

Lord, please forgive me if I did the wrong thing in this situation. I really want Charles to get better and to find hope in You. It just doesn't seem like he is willing to do that. Give me restful sleep tonight as it is weighing on my mind at the moment. Protect Charles and heal his demons that are tormenting him. Free him from all of the addictions that he has and let him find Your Grace and Mercy that is there for him.